Bohol News, Hotels, Travel and Real Estate Property

Exposed Captured on the spot

Now that the battle lines have been drawn, First District Representative Rene Relampagos fires away at Tagbilaran City Mayor Dan Lim, in what could be a telling preview of their one-on-one match in next year's polls. Relampagos, often at the receiving end of the city mayor's blistering tirades, returned the favor in an interview on Monday over Station dyRD's top-rated "Inyong Alagad". Mincing no words, the solon said Mayor Lim, who is fond of criticizing senior provincial officials, is doing a "poor job" as city chief executive. "Tagbilaran has been lagging behind in growth and development for the past eight years of Lim's administration. The mayor does his job through words rather than action," Relampagos stressed. Relampagos scored the "prevailing ill conditions" of the city – the worst road condition in years, garbage and drainage issues, lack of transparency and the widespread perception of financial mismanagement at C...

Heading east from Tagbilaran along the south coast takes you first to the coastal fishing town of BOOL , 5km away. Said to be the oldest settlement on the island, it's also the site of the  Blood Compact Site, marked by an attractive bronze sculpture on the seafront. This is the spot where local chieftain Rajah Sikatuna and Miguel Lopez de Legazpi concluded an early round of Philippine–Spanish hostili-ties in 1565 by signing a compact in blood. Every year for one week in July, Boholanos gather in Bool for the  Sandugo  (One Blood)  festival  which, apart from the usual beauty pageants and roast pigs, includes a passionate re-enactment of the blood ceremony. About 2km east of Bool, BACLAYON  is the site of  Baclayon Church, the oldest stone church in the Philippines . Much of the existing facade was added by the Augustinian Recollects in the nineteenth century, but the rest dates back to 1595 and was declared a national historical landmark in 1995. The church's convent has bee...

How Go to Anda, Bohol Around three hours by bus from Tagbilaran, the countless white sand coves near the town of   ANDA  in beautiful Guindulman Bay are an emerging choice for those looking to escape Panglao's commercialized beach and dive scene. Of the resorts which have popped up in recent years, British-owned Blue Star ( T 0919/453-4468,  W www.bluestardive.com ; 7) stands out for divers and has a good pool, wi-fi, a tiny beach at low tide and good snorkelling on the house reef.  There's a brand-new dive centre, and fan rooms are spacious and tastefully designed with lovely views out over the bay – air-conditioned rooms were nearly complete at the time of writing. For pure beach lovers,  Anda White Beach Resort ( T 0915/541-0507,  W www.andabeachresort.com ; 7) can't be beaten and has attractive rooms, the best of which front onto a bright white strip of sand. There's also a pool, billiards and wi-fi (P100/hr).  Two minutes' walk from here is one of the fe...

A number of resorts offer half-day trips for around P2000 per person to the town of  Antequera , north of Tagbilaran (you can get here independently by bus or jeepney from Tagbilaran).  The attraction for tourists here is the lively market, twice a week on Thursdays and Saturdays. Craftsmen and traders from around the island congregate to sell locally made handicrafts such as baskets, hats and various home decor items such as linen tablecloths, mirrors and attractive bowls made from stone or coconut shells.  Prices are significantly cheaper than in the cities and it's a fun place to haggle and pick up a few inexpensive souvenirs.

There are plenty of hotels and lodges in TAGBILARAN , the hectic port capital of Bohol , but with so many beaches and sights nearby, there's no real reason to stay here. From Tagbilaran you can be on Panglao Island in less than twenty minutes and even the Chocolate Hills, hidden in the hinterlands, are less than an hour away by road. The only sights in Tagbilaran itself are the Cathedral, opposite the plaza in Sarmiento Street, a nineteenth-century hulk standing on the site of an original that was destroyed by fire in 1789, and the   Bohol Museum  (Mon–Fri 10am–4.30pm; P10) in Carlos   P. Garcia Avenue, set in the former home of Carlos Garcia (fourth President of the Philippine Republic), and containing various  presidential memorabilia and a collection of shells. The   Tagbilaran City Fiesta takes place on May 1.